Bungalow Journalhttps://www.bungalowjournal.com
Bungalow Journal - Bungalow Industries' Journal for Architecture, Design and Style inspirationsWed, 19 Sep 2018 12:17:39 +0000en-GB
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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.1Bungalow Architecture + Designhttps://www.bungalowjournal.com/bungalow-architecture-design/
https://www.bungalowjournal.com/bungalow-architecture-design/#commentsTue, 23 Jul 2013 13:06:36 +0000http://bungalowjournal.com/?p=891 ]]>Friends and followers will no doubt have noticed the absence of posts this past year, and our quietness regarding the renovation of Cambria. You may recall that our long awaited, much anticipated, and highly researched new windows and doors were about to be installed; we were tweeting and sharing pictures, and very much enjoying seeing the changes it made to the house. Unfortunately this was short lived as problems soon became all too clear. After months of negotiations, aided by an independent expert’s report, we are hopefully nearing a resolve. In the meantime, unwilling to commit to any other significant changes and somewhat wiped-out from the whole experience, Cambria hasn’t moved on any further.

What we needed was a good old pick-me-up, and that’s exactly what we got in the guise of Braun Publishing! We were contacted by author and architect Michelle Galindo, and asked if she could feature our remodelled Renway Type 60A Bungalow in their new coffee table publication: “Bungalow Architecture + Design“, a title in Braun’s ‘Masterpieces’ series – which she told us would feature a selection of the world’s best bungalows! We jumped at the opportunity, and immediately dispatched high-res images, our plot-plan graphic, and a brief description of the renovation. Just a few months later: we are now in proud possession of this rather fabulous book!…

The bungalow construction style is celebrating a revival. In the early 20th century, it became part of the American Dream in the USA. Today, bungalows combine the ingenious spatial solutions of apartment layouts with the autonomy of detached single-family homes.

Michelle Galindo

All presented bungalows have in common the fact that they satisfy the highest demands of uniqueness, comfort and design quality.

Michelle Galindo

304 pages of stunning bungalows, beautifully photographed and documented, and there among them: three spreads on our modest Mid-Century renovation. Packed with design, architecture and style ideas, this book is an excellent compendium and reference for any renovation, newbuild, or interior remodel – covering a diversity of properties to suit any appreciator of modern architecture.

Having also been contacted by a location agent keen to get Cambria on its books, as well as the BBC who had also come across our previous renovation and wanted to pick our brains regarding an upcoming TV show, it’s been the kick and inspiration we needed to get ourselves back into gear and cracking on with the job at hand. So we’re busily ordering floor samples, looking for kitchens, and mood-boarding our thoughts and ideas on Pinterest… watch this space!

“Bungalow Architecture + Design” is available on Amazon and from all good book stores. Perfect for any bungalow’s coffee table

Can you help us identify the typeface used in the signage for our house, “CAMBRIA”?

As font fiends and typography fans, we’re sorry to say that we’re stumped with this one. Curiously, it very strongly resembles the typeface used for the signage on Grade-II listed Farnley Hey, and we’re very interested to see if there’s any connection – Farnley Hey designed in 1954 by Peter Womersley, and Cambria from the late 1970s (further details on the property’s origins to follow, now being in touch with the original owners and commissioners).

Cast in metal, could the letters have been made by the same foundry? Have any readers spotted any others around too?

If you’re a type-sleuthing type, do please have a go at identifying it and post your suggestions as comments below. We’ll endeavour to glean any info we can from the original owners; perhaps info can be obtained from Farnley Hey’s archives too.

Let’s see if we can dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s and nail it… to the letter!

]]>https://www.bungalowjournal.com/midcentury-property-whats-our-type/feed/1A Tale of Two Bungalowshttps://www.bungalowjournal.com/a-tale-of-two-bungalows/
https://www.bungalowjournal.com/a-tale-of-two-bungalows/#commentsTue, 22 May 2012 11:55:05 +0000http://bungalowjournal.com/?p=661 ]]>Here’s a short tale of two bungalows – both midcentury modern architectural gems, both having reached varying degrees of disrepair, and with interesting common features to their form and situation despite being an ocean apart. One has a compelling before and after story already told… the other’s: still to tell.

Bungalow #1, Architect: Arthur Witthoefft

We start with a stunning, no-expense-spared restoration of a midcentury bungalow designed by Arthur Witthoefft in 1957 in the woods of Westchester County, New York. The property won the AIA‘s First Honor award for Witthoefft, at the time an architect in the Manhattan office of corporate modernists Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and was home to the architect and his wife until they sold up in 1989. Seven years, and a succession of owners and abandonment later, the property had fallen into serious disrepair; only by virtue of its steel frame was it still standing. Back on the market again – for no more than its land value – developers were starting to circle like vultures.

Cue our heroes: Todd Goddard and Andrew Mandolene who spotted the property and were so enamoured that it inspired them to relocate West Coast to East Coast. With steeled hears and strong vision, they took the project on with a passion and a preservationist attitude to restore as much as possible to its original condition.

And to that end, they were remarkably lucky not only to track down Witthoefft – made a Fellow of the AIA in 2011 – for his verdict on the property’s condition and potential… but also to engage him as consultant on the project!

The result is a spectacular resurrection of a landmark property, preserving over 75% of the original structure, and finished with interior fittings and finishes blending the curatorial with the casual to keep this timepiece vintage without being precious.

It made me so happy to see it so smart looking again… I can’t get over what they’ve done—it’s unbelievable.

Bungalow #2, Architect: Michael Manser
A lovely find by our friends over at WowHaus, this late-midcentury bunker-like bungalow in Surrey, designed by eminent architect Michael Manser came to the market late 2011 in need of some TLC. Featuring wall-to-ceiling sliding doors onto a central courtyard (much like Cambria, into which we’d just moved), with flat roof, skylights and a timepiece interior, the house was a significant example of its type – midcentury modern at its best.

What also caught our eye was that from its grey-bricked, black trimmed sleek exterior with minimally glazed frontage, it bore a remarkable resemblance to the Wiffhoefft bungalow. Our curiosity was piqued as to whether similarities extended further, and indeed, whether the eventual purchasers might undertake a similar update to the property. Certainly, the approach taken by Goddard and Mandolene to their home provides a particularly relevant wealth of inspiration and resource for the lucky new owners of Manser’s ‘Weston Point’.

Interestingly, Manser was a strong proponent of the steel and glass aesthetic of the modern movement and his international commissions no doubt exposed him to leading trends in architecture both commercial and domestic. Californian influence is evident here with ‘Weston Point’, just as Whaley brought back Eichler / Quincy Jones’ inspiration from the US to his Edgcumbe Park development.

Photographs courtesy of the selling agent, Christies in Cheam

Another parallel between these bungalows came to light, sadly in the form of keen developer interest – this property too occupying a sizeable third-of-an-acre plot, and in a sought-after, Surrey locality too. We spotted a tweet to the effect that an interested party had tried to arrange a viewing through the selling agent who seemed keener to sell to a developer instead. The PDF particulars carry but a scant two photographs – thankfully their website showed more of the living space to help convey the property’s feel beyond its mere land value.

Twitter, again, yielded further insight as just recently in recommending an aluminium window supplier to friends, the purchaser spotted our tweet and went on to tweet the window company that they had a Manser bungalow to refurbish. We knew it had to be the same house… and it was! It transpired that whilst the agent indeed would have preferred to sell to a developer, the vendor quite rightly had other ideas and much preferred to sell to a fellow midcentury fan and enthusiastic homemaker.

We’re looking forward to keeping track of their renovation and will be inviting them to blog their progress here on our Journal. (Now in dialogue with the new owners, and having receiving some incredible original photographs, there’ll be a follow-up post very soon!)

What’s clear is that many midcentury gems have been enjoyed for decades by the same owners, fallen into states of disrepair, and presented to the market by agents keener to make a good sale than help preserve the architecture. Thankfully, both these properties won out, but in many cases the homes are razed to the ground and lost forever.

We continue our Eichler theme here on the Journal with a superb trailer for a very exciting documentary project by California realtor, Monique Lombardelli: “People In Glass Houses – The Legacy Of Joseph Eichler”.

Monique became a true Eichler fan when driving along the streets of Sunnyvale for this first time back in 2009 and found herself in an Eichler development surrounded by low-slung, sleek homes of such beauty that she had to slam on the brakes and stop the car in awe!

Understandably captivated, she has gone on to undertake a remarkable project collating the history of the properties, combined it with interviews and anecdotes from present-day Eichler owners and their midcentury communities, and set all this against the lifestory of their visionary developer Joseph Eichler.

View the trailer:

As the trailer shows, the film offers a clear insight into how the post-and-beam construction method gave the framework for key Eichler characteristics: the open floorplans, flat or gently sloping roofs, internal atria… and of course, those expansive walls of glass which give rise to the film’s title.

‘People In Glass Houses’ promises to be an important timepiece, documenting one of the key proponents of the mid- 20th century movement in domestic architecture whose legacy continues to inspire, uplift and provide ultracool roofs over the heads of their lucky owners.

Check out the behind-the-scenes footage too… (and see if you can spot the X-100)… there’s not long to wait until the film is formally released this coming May!

Behind the Scenes:

…And just as a comic footnote: those walls of glass can sometimes have slight downsides, as pointed out in this advertisement for Windex which features a particularly lovely Eichler home…

Joseph L. Eichler (1900–1974) was a renowned homebuilder, responsible for a number of keystone midcentury-modern developments, or tracts, across California’s Bay Area between 1951–1964, totalling around 11,000 homes in all. Single storey properties, save around 50 or so, these homes were of trademark timber post and beam construction, with soaring flat or gently pitched roofs. Extensively glazed, open floor-plans and often featuring internal courtyards, inside-outside living was built into the very fabric of these homes to maximise light and space.

Inspired not only by the work of Frank Lloyd-Wright after renting his Bazett House in 1942, but also his ethos of residential design for ‘everyman’, Eichler believed that his homebuilding could contribute to social betterment and affordability was key to his approach. Bringing good design to the average homeowner – and leading the field in establishing a non-discriminatory policy among post-war builders, his first release of 51 homes in Sunnyvale, California, all sold within two weeks. Designed by architects Robert Anshen and William S. Allen, and offering 1,044 square feet for $9,500 including appliances, these were more than mere homes: they were blueprints for the American dream.

Mid-1950s, Eichler’s latest development in the San Mateo Highlands subdivision wasn’t getting the viewings — despite the scenic views, the area wasn’t well connected to the freeways and a marketing strategy was required. That strategy was to create the ‘house of the future’… ‘a home of tomorrow’ — to build the ultimate show-home and to invite househunters into a ‘an exciting exploration into future living.’

Eichler had a team of expert, progressive architects including A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons and in 1955 commissioned this duo to explore steel constructions and create this futuristic house. It wasn’t solely as a show-home: it was to be a prototype for future development – a quest for a new way to build houses that were affordable, in tune with their environment and their inhabitants, offering the latest in conveniences and construction technologies. Furthermore, as ‘Arts and Architecture’ pointed out in 1956, Eichler had concerns that the more organic materials might soon be in short supply as they couldn’t be grown fast enough to meet demand.

Eichler's X-100: extracts from the grand opening brochure, 1956

Constructed in 1956 – with the assistance of Pierre Koenig, advocate of steel-frame designs and of Stahl House fame, the result was ‘House X-100’ — a prefabricated 2,226-square foot single storey home; three bedrooms, internal gardens, with experimental materials and features throughout. State of the art, no less, as manufacturers who had been clamouring to have their products showcased in an Eichler home had their wishes granted. The X-100 was truly a low-maintenance house, fully-featured and of futuristic design throughout.

From radiant (underfloor) heating to skylights, intercom, dishwasher, the ‘Super-Hush Pulverator’ waste disposal, reversible kitchen cabinetry (yellow one side, white the other), food-warming burners concealed within the kitchen table, a revolving fireplace, even with a carefully chosen colour scheme of Golden Gate cinnamon and greys to counterbalance the steel – all within a sleek modernist frame, what was conceived (and succeeded) as a marketing tool became a clear vision of the future made real.

An exciting exploration into future living!… Eichler homes delve into the future with a new living form that serves as a research laboratory for testing new design concepts.

The thousands of Californians who crowded into the ‘home of tomorrow’ this week gaped at such innovations as a revolving fireplace, one entire wall of glass, a plastic skylight like a bomber bubble, two indoor gardens, electrically operated sliding doors that replace all windows, and steel-frame construction to eliminate the need for load bearing walls.

The Wall Street Journal

Eichler X-100 Interior, Life Image Archive

Eichler X-100 Fireplace

Eichler X-100 Exterior view from street, Life Image Archives

The experimental home captured imaginations: coined ‘the home of tomorrow’ by major newspapers and magazines, including ‘Life’, and featuring on a Universal-International newsreel shown before features films across the States, the show home attracted over 150,000 visitors.

The construction of these steel-framed homes promised great savings in labour costs as they could be erected quickly, however the complexities of steel fabrication and delivery, compounded by the onset of the Korean war rendered steel prohibitively expensive and sadly made it uneconomical for Eichler to continue this line of research.

Nevertheless, his legacy of 11,000 homes constitutes one of the most significant and celebrated contributions to the domestic architecture of the midcentury era, with design principles, innovations and ethos seldom seen since, particularly on such a scale. Fundamentally, these were homes of considered design and cost-effective construction which shaped a new way of living – and it’s no surprise they are so highly prized to this day.

Here in the UK, Renway’s Edgcumbe Park development of 1958–1970 was strongly influenced by Eichler’s approach, indeed considered futuristic itself employing innovations in design, build and finish hitherto unseen in the UK (see this post about our Renway Type 60A bungalow) – but suffered at the hands of the rising cost of land. Economic factors these days preclude affordable homebuilding to match these properties’ footprints and features: modern day developers rarely able push boundaries in architecture and innovation when budgets are so constrained.

What remains is a legacy of midcentury developments whose merit and individualities are being increasingly revered, not least for the quality of their design, but also for their futuristic, experimental feel which successfully captured the spirit of a visionary generation.

Endnote:

After the death of long-time owner Anna-Lise Pedersen in 2003, the X-100 was purchased by a preservation-minded group for $775,000 who continued Anna-Lise’s work in restoring the property, to convert it into an exhibition house. It has been nominated for designation to the National Register of Historic Places.

]]>https://www.bungalowjournal.com/eichler-experimental-the-x-100/feed/5Linotype: The Eighth Wonder of the Worldhttps://www.bungalowjournal.com/linotype-the-eighth-wonder-of-the-world/
https://www.bungalowjournal.com/linotype-the-eighth-wonder-of-the-world/#commentsMon, 02 Apr 2012 11:23:15 +0000http://bungalowjournal.com/?p=502 ]]>We hold firm that people will always want to smell the ink, feel the paper, turn the page. However, it’s not often that Print as a medium garners praise and attention these days as our communications channels become all the more digital. Here’s one joyous example.

The Linotype was the first printing press, an invention so remarkable that Thomas Edison himself called it the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Where printed pages were previously typeset one letter at a time, by hand, the Linotype (or Line o’ Type) could automatically cast an entire line in one go, producing printable type six times as fast as the traditional manual method. It’s no wonder that the printing of books and newspapers snowballed and resulted in dramatic changes to journalism, impacts on society, and a rise in literacy too.

Eight Wonder, indeed – the Linotype’s impact is celebrated in Doug Wilson’s emotive and insightful documentary of its history, the people who made it happen, and how it helped change the world, quite literally. Watch the trailer of ‘Linotype: The Film’ here:

Once you get ink and type metal in your blood, it never comes out.

And what of the Linotype these days? An indispensable part of the printing process in the early 20th century supporting an industry of highly skilled operators, by the 1970s they were being scrapped in favour of newer photo typesetting technology. A rare few machines exist today, an even rarer few remain in operation.

Read more at www.linotypefilm.com and see the UK premiere of the film on Thursday 26th April at 5:30pm, full listings here.

]]>https://www.bungalowjournal.com/linotype-the-eighth-wonder-of-the-world/feed/1Finding Cambriahttps://www.bungalowjournal.com/finding-cambria/
https://www.bungalowjournal.com/finding-cambria/#commentsFri, 16 Mar 2012 13:24:22 +0000http://bungalowjournal.com/?p=415 ]]>As much as we loved our Californian-style ‘midmod’ bungalow, we both knew it was time to move on. Cravings for more space, a change of scene… and the thought of a new quirky property challenge were keeping us increasingly wired in to Rightmove and Primelocation, scouring the country from top to bottom and checking out quirky and unusual properties from Yorkshire to the Isle of Wight with nothing catching our eye sufficiently to gear us into action. But as 2011 set in, with the weather warming up and the market finally showing signs of recovery after the 2007 crash, our property flirting had to stop: it was time to make our move.

We eagerly wanted a change of scenery, more space for our design business and more personal space too to spread ourselves out a little. Being self-employed and running a largely digital-based business, we weren’t really tied to any one location – which sounds great in theory, but given the whole of the country to search, where do you start?! That said, our focus has always been the architecture of the house firstly, to see where that then led us.

At least we had our ticklist to work from – that should help narrow our search, right?…Our ticklist

something quirky / architecturally interesting

preferably midcentury / flat roofed / modernist

something that needed work (we love nothing more than getting our hands dirty, feeling physically tired, and standing back and looking at the changes we’ve made)

studios space for our design business

a room for Scott’s piano

lots of entertaining space for guests and visitors

a good sized plot for growing vegetables and possibly even space for chickens

a more manageable and usable courtyard-style garden

large garage or outbuildings (future business ideas…!)

we also loved to be surrounded by independent retailers, traditional green-grocers, fish-mongers, coffee shops and great restaurants to satisfy the foodies in us

it was also important to be in touch with like-minded people: we wanted new conversations and the stimulation of being around other creatives

and, dream come true… it would be by the sea too.

Not surprisingly, every property we looked at involved compromise: we came across some real architectural gems but the locations would never have worked for us (despite our trying to convince ourselves otherwise) and often they’d been poorly maintained and would require uneconomical (and out-of-our-budget) investment to update. Things weren’t looking hopeful. Phil & Kirstie would have despaired of us (we did apply for their show!), and I’m sure we would have been subject to one of Kirstie’s stern talkings to!

Then, out of the blue and listed with two agents: The Modern House and an agent local to the property in Whitstable, Kent, we came across Cambria. We knew of Whitstable as we’d looked at a property in nearby Broadstairs on a previous house hunt back in 2004 after a feature on Location, Location, Location, but it was nothing more than a winter-time drive through. Googling Whitstable in 2011 however came up with a surprising number of potential ticks in boxes… not least being by the sea! But would the house hit the spot?

We contacted both agents to get a feel for for the house, to see what interest it had received, to find out how long it had been on the market, if it had received any offers and the vendor’s situation. At this stage although wanting to make the move, we hadn’t yet got our bungalow on the market – we made the conscious decision not to view until we were in a position to make an offer, and so, motivated and with some urgency, we pulled together the marketing materials for the bungalow and began our private sale strategy.

We kept a daily vigil on Cambria via Rightmove as well as both agents’ websites to check on its status, and when all of a sudden the price dropped with the local agent, we knew it was time to book a viewing in, quick!

So off we set to Whitstable! We picked the perfect day: it was early July and the sun was glorious. We were both excited and nervous, having viewed many homes and discounted them all fairly quickly, was this going to be yet another one of our discards?

Quite the opposite. Cambria had us from the first step inside: we instantly fell for its charm and architecture. Yes, it needed work – and lots of it – but for the first time we felt we’d found a project that was absolutely liveable in, even its current state. Smitten and excited we set off to explore Whitstable town, leaving the car behind at the house so we could walk in along the beach. This was a life could very much get used to! To our joy – and disbelief – we ticked off every single item on what we’d considered to be an insurmountable criteria list.

Mentally we’d already moved in, but of course we still had a bungalow to sell. A horrible position to be in, smitten with a property and not in a position to make an offer as we hadn’t yet sold. We were rightly concerned: the price drop had generated other viewings – perhaps they were other architecture fans, or simply looking at Cambria for its very good value square footage, or its plot too (all too often we see midcentury gems bought up, bulldozed and replaced with mock period newbuilds – more on this to come). We waited anxiously.

Thankfully that wait wasn’t long: within two weeks we had secured our buyers for the bungalow!

We returned to Cambria for a second, ‘head’ as opposed to ‘heart’, viewing prior to offering, armed with a raft of questions and a camera. In our excitement of having found our potential new home we were sure we hadn’t taken in the full extent of the renovations needed on the first viewing.

As we thought, a closer inspection raised issues beyond those most visible, but they didn’t dampen our spirits and we entered into (lengthy) negotiations regarding an offer. With almost thirty aluminium windows to replace (and eye-watering quotes received), a new roof, new bathrooms… the list goes on… we needed to secure it at the right price to make sure the house was viable and wasn’t solely a ‘heart’ purchase. Finally, offer accepted, three slow months of surveys, questions, and legals passed until, on the 1st of November 2011, we took the keys to our lovely new home by the sea!

Cambria, like the bungalow, is going to be another labour of love. We’ll document our progress as we go and and share it here on this blog along the way. Follow our journey through the renovation, and if you find yourself in Whitstable we’d love to hear from you!

]]>https://www.bungalowjournal.com/finding-cambria/feed/14How to sell a unique property… without an estate agent!https://www.bungalowjournal.com/we-sold-our-bungalow-privately-heres-how/
https://www.bungalowjournal.com/we-sold-our-bungalow-privately-heres-how/#commentsThu, 15 Mar 2012 01:38:11 +0000http://bungalowjournal.com/?p=36 ]]>
Having lovingly restored and remodelled our bungalow inside and out over a four year period, a combination of running out of space plus craving a fresh challenge put moving firmly on our minds. We’ve always been passionate about property, particular in re-architecting interiors and applying our minimalist, midcentury-inspired aesthetic to the spaces created, but having spent a number of years working in property marketing too, we were eager to face the ultimate challenge: could we actually market and sell our house ourselves, privately, without an estate agent and the might of rightmove?

The question quickly changed from ‘could we…’ to ‘how could we not?!’ Our property, along with the development it was situated in had a particularly interesting story to tell, and we felt certain that a typical estate agency brochure simply couldn’t capture the history and lifestyle our home had to offer. Agency technology marches on apace, but agents’ understanding of brand and good design is still much lacking. Estate agents in the main still rely on dated template designs that undermarket and undersell character and individual properties whose valuations don’t hit the heights of the ‘premier’ end of the market, where percentage-based fees (or often the vendors themselves) cover the cost of commissioning bespoke particulars.

After having invested so much time, love, thought and energy into the property’s remodelling, we of course wanted to achieve the best possible price. To this end, we knew we simply had to apply our combined skills of property know-how, photography, book and website design, and copywriting to market the bungalow ourselves and truly do it justice.

Although having a comprehensive understanding of the the property market, we started by calling in the local estate agents to get a feel for the property’s value. A good valuation is based on buyer demand, previous sold prices for comparable properties, the property’s specification and standard of presentation, as well as current market conditions. It would have been foolish to have placed a price on the property based on our own thoughts and personal attachment; after all, we wanted to move home (at this point having possibly found our next project) and so were eager to sell quickly with as few viewings as possible, whilst still achieving the best possible price. We also wanted to see if they ‘got’ the property and, should we need to instruct a local agent if our plan failed, which one would be best able to extoll the bungalow’s virtues when handling enquiries.

We also called in The Modern House: a London-based agent, highly respected and acclaimed, often in the press, and widely known for their listing of unique and architecturally interesting properties. We were flattered that they were willing to take our property on (knowing how they restrict their listings to properties with provenance) and we knew that they would bring it a good deal of attention, however, we knew that if we placed it with an estate agent from the outset we’d always wonder ‘what if…?’ And so, after much deliberation, we decided to present the bungalow to the market under our own steam in initially, and keep The Modern House option in reserve as a plan B.

We hatched a strategy, as follows:

1. Getting ready

Timing — We waited for the good weather to arrive so that the gardens looked at their best and the doors could be opened up to show off the inside-outside living.

Required Paperwork — we organised for our EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) as well as a boiler service, gas safety certificate, and collated all the relevant instruction manuals, guarantees and receipts as a handover pack).

Preparation — already living like minimalists, the house was made spotless throughout, woodwork freshly painted, parquet polished with extra thought given to planting and outdoor staging.

2. Marketing Materials

Photography — we photographed the house at its best, knowing when each room got the best of the light and staging each space as required;

Research — with Edgcumbe Park having such an interesting history both architecturally (being a unique Midcentury development) and cinematographically (being the setting for Truffaut’s 1966 film of Fahrenheit 451), we took time to go through the archives to tell the story of the development, adding value and another dimension;

Plot Plan — rather than the usual floor plan, we wanted to show how the house sat in its unusual quarter-circle plot and how we’d landscaped it to provide garden zones as ‘rooms outside’. We drew and then digitised a bespoke architectural-style plot plan, annotated and labelled;

The Details — we compiled full room descriptions with details of fixtures, fittings, finishes, keeping them completely factual in accord with the Property Misdescriptions Act (PMA);

The Local Area — we wrote about the locality, its amenities, facilities, things to do, places of interest (and places to shop and eat too);

…we then wove all these elements together to create…

The ‘Selling’ Book — we collated all our photographs, research, descriptions and graphics into a beautiful 44-page book — not only a great selling tool but also the perfect keepsake for us, and the new purchasers. We effectively gave the property its own brand identity which carried through all materials and marketing, taking its inference from the style, architectural elements and even typefaces of the Midcentury era to craft the look and layout. We made an ISSUU flickbook and added it to a microsite for the property (see below) and a short print-run of softcover versions to give to interested parties. We also ordered lovely hard-backed versions from Blurb for us, and the new purchasers to treasure.

The ‘Renovation’ Book — so pleased with our Selling book, we collated all our ‘before, during and after’ shots to produce another 44-page book documenting the renovation of the bungalow. Not least as a keepsale for us, but also a persuasive tool to put buyers off the other local renovation projects on the market at that time. Our observation was that, when pushed, most purchasers didn’t want to undertake this level of remodelling themselves. This book also served to ensure we received offers as close as possible to the asking price, as it made clear the time, energy, vision and money we’d invested. Read more about the remodelling and see our Renovation Book here.

Website — we secured relevant domain names and created a microsite for the bungalow containing our ISSUU flickbooks, along with further details, links for sharing over social media networks, plus the all-important enquiry form.

3. Marketing

Emailshot — we designed an email which we sent out to our mailing list in order to start spreading the word;

Social Media — with the microsite live to the world, we launched a campaign across social media channels including twitter and Facebook to encourage people to visit the site and to share it among their friends and networks;

Portals — as private sellers it remains impossible to list a property on the big portals such as rightmove and primelocation, however a number of smaller (though still poorly known) portals exist: we opted for Sarah Beeny’s Tepilo – a free listing service for private sellers – and pointed visitors back to our microsite;

Blogs — we contacted several prominent bloggers in property and design who were more than happy to write about our house and its sale… and as word spread, we were approached by a number of other blogs worldwide. The hits went through the roof, and our bungalow went viral;

Magazine — as a result of our digital campaign, we were approached by Midcentury Magazine – the editors visited the bungalow, interviewed us and ran a 10 page feature on the property, Edgcumbe Park, even including a ‘Get The Look’ section;

For Sale Board — We also designed and erected our own aptly-styled For Sale board for the front lawn.

…with the blogs inviting great comments such as:

If I was a realtor I would be taking serious notes. The design of the webpage and the two brochures blows away any home marketing material I have ever seen. Doesn’t it make you want to move right in?

Sarah, Freckles & Ash

4. Enquiries

Tracking the hits — we kept a close eye on our Google Analytics, tweets on Twitter and ‘likes’ on Facebook, photos shared on sites such as Tumblr and Pinterest, as well as hits on our ISSUU brochures (approaching 10,000 views) and to our site from the numerous blogs featuring our story, and of course hits originating from Tepilo;

Sources — We had a number of strong enquiries via the website and via the For Sale board (which actually generated a lot of interest, resulting in phone calls as well as direct knocks on the door);

Viewings — We hosted all viewings ourselves, complete with carefully chosen soundtrack, fresh coffee, pastries and even the weekend newspapers on the table. This may all sound cliché… but it certainly sells a lifestyle. We were on hand to answer any questions, but allowed viewers to explore at their leisure and familiarise themselves with the space.

Result: We agreed a sale within two weeks!

Remarkably, our buyers only viewed the property twice. As they entered the house on their first viewing, they said they already knew it inside out from our brochure… and afterwards, that we’d portrayed the property accurately – which was really great to hear.

5. Sales progression

We progressed the sale ourselves, dealing directly with the buyers and the solicitors to keep on top of the process, whilst also managing the progression of our purchase. Having the direct lines of communication really did feel as though it helped to keep things moving, right through to completion and handover of keys.

6. On completion

Along with a special hard-backed copy of the sales book plus the Edgcumbe Park archives on disk, we also provided our buyers with a step-by-step guide with everything they needed to know about the running of the property, from bin days to favoured tradespeople, as well as the handbook of manuals and guarantees. We also provided a neighbourhood plan — a diagram of the surrounding properties, labelled with who lives where, to make the new owners feel immediately at home.

Local estate agents were somewhat lost for words at our result, admitting that they didn’t think we’d succeed without having a rightmove listing (which, in fairness, was our major concern). Our marketing efforts didn’t go unnoticed though: a number admitted they used our booklet to help demonstrate to their applicants the potential held in other properties on the development. One told us that we shouldn’t underestimate what we’d done for the local area, not least having brought in many out-of-town buyers purely through our marketing, so much so that we came home to find a lovely bottle of fizz on the doorstep in acknowledgement!

All in all, a sterling result. A successful move, over £10,000 saved in commission, and our property published online and in print for posterity.

You can do it too

As you can no doubt tell, we’re truly passionate about property and its presentation — especially having seen the results that quality materials and marketing can achieve. Bungalow Industries are available to help you to present your home the way it should be present for maximum impact — and to achieve the best possible price for its sale. Whether you’re looking to sell privately, or via an estate agent, our approach will not only add value — you’ll have a wonderful keepsake of your cherished property forever.

Call us on 07999 378914 to discuss how we can apply our proven approach to the successful sale of your property.

]]>https://www.bungalowjournal.com/we-sold-our-bungalow-privately-heres-how/feed/2The Renway Type 60A Bungalowhttps://www.bungalowjournal.com/the-renway-type-60a-bungalow/
https://www.bungalowjournal.com/the-renway-type-60a-bungalow/#respondWed, 14 Mar 2012 00:52:06 +0000http://bungalowjournal.com/?p=297 ]]>Situated at the heart of Renway’s award-winning Edgcumbe Park Development, 5 Heathermount Drive occupies one of the most commanding plots. One of only ten remaining Type 60/60A bungalows, this modern ‘Ranch-style’ design with its asymmetric roof, picture windows and open-plan living takes clear cues from mid-century Californian homebuilders such as the renowned Joseph Eichler.

Renway’s Type 60A bungalow at 5 Heathermount Drive, Edgcumbe Park, with clear influences from Eichler’s Californian design — not least in form but also in its relationship to light, interior and exterior space. Summer 2011.

Of the 27 house designs on acclaimed Edgcumbe Park, the Type 60 bungalows (and their mirror image, the Type 60A) are generally to be found at the hairpins of the development’s meandering roadways where their footprints and low profiles are so well suited to these expansive corner plots.

We purchased the property in an unloved and much neglected state in 2006 and brought it back to life over a period of four years, remodelling it inside and out, preserving the key architectural features, retaining a clear nod to its midcentury origins whilst placing it firmly in the present. The bungalow has featured on property, style and design blogs worldwide, and reading the comments posted, it’s met with widespread acclaim and appreciation.

Yes, it’s true, we have indeed sold our bungalow — simply out of a requirement for more space for our creative pursuits and design business. Sign up to our Journal for updates on our new property, Cambria: a 1970s architect-designed one-off gem by the sea in Whitstable, Kent, UK. There’s lots of work to be done on it and we’ll be sure to blog our progress!

]]>https://www.bungalowjournal.com/the-renway-type-60a-bungalow/feed/0As Featured in Midcentury Magazinehttps://www.bungalowjournal.com/as-featured-in-midcentury-magazine/
https://www.bungalowjournal.com/as-featured-in-midcentury-magazine/#respondTue, 13 Mar 2012 14:53:33 +0000http://bungalowjournal.com/?p=223 ]]>Back in July 2011 when we launched the marketing campaign for the private sale of our bungalow, we were thrilled and flattered to be approached by Tabitha and Tom, Editor and Aficionado behind Midcentury Magazine — the only UK-based publication for fans and followers of the midcentury movement. It was a real honour when they asked if they could run a feature on our ranch-style, Renway ‘Type 60a’ bungalow… and of course, we agreed like a shot!

Midcentury Magazine, Autumn/Winter 2011

It wasn’t long before they came to interview us at home, seeing the bungalow for themselves, taking a leisurely stroll around the tree-lined roads in Edgcumbe Park, and hearing some of the anecdotes about the estate’s eclectic residents, past and present — not to mention the parties of the ‘swinging sixties’ in the early days of the development!

The issue’s launch coincided with this November’s Modern Show in Dulwich where we caught up with Tabitha & Tom busily subscribing new readers on their stand. We were delighted to see a generous nine full pages had been given over to featuring the bungalow, illustrated by David’s lovely photographs, along with a separate focus on the Renway Construction Company’s vision behind Edgcumbe Park co-authored by Scott. In addition, there’s a useful ‘get the look’ section with information on where we obtained our key pieces. In all, a very special memento of our time at the property, and hopefully something to inspire others to remodel their homes, midcentury-style!

David and Scott have fashioned a piece of cool, Californian modernism so authentic that it is hardly credible that it is located in a wooded estate in Berkshire.

Each issue is packed with interesting and information-rich articles all with a midcentury flavour; the current issue no exception with some fascinating reads about furniture designers & manufacturers past and present; where to source the best midcentury finds (and what to look for — great article by Antiques Roadshow expert Mark Hill), and the best in midcentury media & arts (including author David Christopher’s appreciation of midcentury hi-fi equipment, and a lovely background insight into Hergé and his Tintin by Charlotte Luxford).